


A Shot in the Dark

by Ceares



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-22
Updated: 2014-05-22
Packaged: 2018-01-26 02:36:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1671584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceares/pseuds/Ceares





	A Shot in the Dark

 

He didn't know what Lana was thinking, if she was thinking at all. It was bad enough being set up constantly like he was some bucked-tooth third cousin once removed with a 'good personality', but at least until now she had shown some modicum of taste. The girl sitting next to him was not only about ten years too young for him, but she was a vapid blonde heiress of the kind he thought had disappeared after the great Hilton tragedy of 2007. She had a huge trust fund and breasts that nearly matched it in size-purchased by 'Daddy' apparently for her eighteenth birthday.

She went on and on about the surgery in great detail while Lex contemplated drowning himself in his consume. Instead he excused himself from the table and that was how he found himself once more hiding in a closet on Christmas. Only this time instead of feeling lonely and out of place, he was enjoying the bottle of champagne he had snagged on his way in, and he was making efficient use of his time plotting Lana's demise.

The door creaked slowly open, and he scrunched tighter in the corner. It was almost midnight and the party should be breaking up soon, so it was probably someone looking for their coat, but better safe than sorry. Heiress Barbie looked like she could track a fortune at 100 paces.

The door snicked closed, but Lex could sense that whoever had opened it had stepped inside. Shit. He was just going to have to pop up and try and play it off-surely there had to be a good reason why a gubernatorial candidate would be hiding in the closet on Christmas eve-one that wasn’t tabloid headline worthy-he just had to think of it.

“Lex?” The voice was tentative in the darkness.

“Clark?” There was a solid thump and a large figure settled down next to him.

“Yeah. Hi. How are you? I haven’t seen you since you got back from London.” Clark’s tone was slightly sheepish.

Lex shrugged, knowing Clark had no problem seeing him. “Pretty much the same, how about you?”

“Ah, you know…the usual. Few stories, few rescues. Why are you sitting in the dark?”

“Bulb blew out.”

“Oh. So…”

“Yeah. So…why the hell are you in my closet?”

“Well, technically it’s Pete and Lana’s closet Lex.”

“Clark don’t avoid the question.”

“Um, well-Lana sort of arranged a blind date for the party, and it just isn’t really going well.”

“So you hid in the closet?” Lex couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of him.

“Why is that so funny? You’re in here too. I saw that bleached barracuda you were with.”

Lex could here the pout in Clark’s voice so he was sure those lush lips were  
pursed enticingly. He shook the thought off. He’d forced himself to get past the sheer physical marvel that was Clark along time ago; and if his type ran true to full lipped brunettes with a penchant for danger and deception, well if anyone asked he’d swear it was all oedipal.

“Sorry-it’s just…I thought you came out of the closet years ago. Now Lana has forced you back in.”

“Oh ha ha. Some of the guys she’s been trying to hook me up with lately are enough to make me straight again.”

“Again? You were never straight, Clark.” Of course he hadn’t known that when they were in Smallville. If he had things might have been-would have been different. Lex didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. He’d been obsessed with Clark back then; with his beauty, with his secrets, the idea of his innate goodness. If Lex had found a way to truly have Clark for his own he didn’t know where they’d be now, but he was pretty sure it wouldn’t be Superman and future Governor Luthor.

“Hey, I thought I was. Like you can talk. You’re what-the first openly bisexual candidate to run for state office?”

“You do the research Mr. Reporter-just remember, I never pretended to be anything but what I am.”

An uncomfortable silence descended. There were still painful spots from their past. Like a sore tooth they tried to avoid them, but every once in a while one of them would poke around until they flinched. Luck, determination, and leaving Smallville had saved their friendship, and though it had never had the same glow as it did those first years, it was still important to both of them.

"Clearly Lana is getting out of hand. The kids are in school, and she has way too much time to meddle. Something has to be done. You know Clark-a real superhero would find a way out of this."

"Hey, why do I have to be the one to deal with this? You're the certified genius."

"She's married to your best friend." Lex thought his logic was irrefutable.

"He's your campaign manager." Hmm, damn he had a point.

"She's your ex-girlfriend." Clark humphed at the reminder.

"She's your ex-girlfriend too." Well hell.

Again silence.

"I know-why don't you get married again? It's not like it has to last any longer than the others, and Lana can plan the wedding-it will be a nice distraction for her." Clark’s voice was the kind of faux cheerful your waiter had after you’d changed your order for the fifth time.

"Well that gets you off the hook, but what about me?"

"Come on Lex, what's one more marriage give or take? I'm sure you've probably  
set aside a trust fund for the alimony payments." His voice was still light, but laced with bitterness he couldn't hide. It gave Lex reason for pause.

"Even if I wanted to throw myself on the sacrificial pyre to save you Clark I can't. I've sworn off marriage." He really wished the bulb hadn’t blown out. He would have liked to see Clark’s expression at his announcement. He was careful to keep his own neutral since Clark had the advantage of x-ray vision.

"Yeah, right. You'll put half the divorce attorney's in Metropolis out of business. If you've sworn off marriage-why does Lana keep trying to fix you up?"

"Apparently she doesn't believe me any more than you do." He got quiet for a moment. "I'm serious though Clark. I'm tired of the game. I've been married what-six times?"

"Eight. I was best man for every one of them-even the Las Vegas quickie you called me in the middle of the night to fly down for. Luckily the bride was too drunk to wonder how I got there."

Lex thought for a moment, then nodded. "Eight-right. That should be enough of a lesson learned for anybody. "

“I… Lois and me-we’re still friends and we still work together, but it’s hard. I don’t see how you could do it this long Lex.”

“I guess mostly because I didn’t really love any of them. Helen was the closest, but even then I was just…well whatever I was doing, I won’t be doing it anymore. I’m a sworn bachelor from now on.” Looking for love in all the wrong places, looking for love in too many faces…The shame of living his life like a country song was just one of the reasons Lex couldn’t open up completely to Clark.

“Lex…what if-I mean, if Lana thought you-we were taken she’d have to stop match making right? That would give us both a breather.”

“Taken? You mean by each other?”

“Um yeah. We could sort of rescue each other. You know go out together…just like we do now, but with-uh kissing and hand-holding and stuff. Friend to friend though. I mean it would just be for Lana’s benefit.”

“For Lana’s benefit.” Lex could see Clark’s face turned away from his even though there was no way for him to make out an expression in the gloom. “So what happens if we meet someone we really want to be with?”

“You said you weren’t interested in getting married again, and I not having the best luck in that department. Running off in the middle of dates without being able to explain doesn’t exactly promote romance. But …in that case we fake a break up, and the one dumped just pretends to be so broken up that he couldn’t possibly get with anybody else for a long while.”

“You’re pretty devious for a superhero.”

“Thanks!” Lex could here the pleasure in Clark’s voice. Clark knew him well enough to know the comment had been intended as a compliment, and he took it as such.

He took a swig of champagne and passed the bottle to Clark. “Here-a toast to seal the deal.”

Clark tilted it back and took his own swallow, then several more gulps, before he set it down next to them. “To seal the deal.” He leaned forward and his mouth covered Lex’s. His lips were cool, and his tongue warm as it probed tentatively at Lex’s. Lex opened his mouth slightly, and got a wash of Clark taste-champagne and cinnamon. Clark leaned forward more, and Lex leaned into the kiss, his arms going around Clark’s shoulders. There was a soft moan, and Lex wasn’t sure who it came from. A white light pierced his eyes, and while the kiss was good, he didn’t think it was good enough to call down heavenly hosts. Voices and the scritch of hangers being moved came next and by the time Clark and Lex had untangled themselves several people were standing at the closet door with varying expressions.

“Oh I’m sorry I didn’t realize…” The woman standing next to Pete Ross was one of Lex’s biggest campaign contributors. Her face was beet red. Pete reached in and got her coat, closing the door behind them. Lex could here them as they walked away… “Childhood sweethearts…” Pete’s soft murmur “Oh how sweet!” Mrs. Clements high-pitched exclamation.

“I guess we’d better vacate.”

“Yeah, well at least we won’t have to worry about telling Lana.” Clark stood up and offered his hand to Lex. Lex reached up and took it, allowing the other man to pull him to his feet. They slid the door open gingerly, but the hall was clear, and Lex was sure he had Pete to thank for that.

They stood outside the closet doors as Lex’s eyes adjusted to the light. He could see Clark clearly now-the faint pink tinge to his skin, the bright eyes that looked at him with a barely concealed hope.

“Well.”

“Well-I guess I’d better go. I’ll call you?”

“Hey wait a minute. If we’re dating, don’t you think you better see me to my door?”

“Oh. Yeah, yes-definitely.” Clark’s voice was eager and Lex couldn’t help a smile in response. He linked his arm with Clark’s as they headed towards the car.

“You know Clark. This could be the start of a beautiful relationship.”

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Pete made sure everything was locked up and looked in on the kids one more time before he headed for his bedroom and his beautiful, brilliant wife. Lana was sitting up in bed, the light on the nightstand on, and a book open across her lap.

“Well?” She looked at him with eager eyes. Pete leaned over and kissed her, relaxing into the familiar pleasure for a moment before he pulled back.

“Well, you were absolutely right-they were scared right into each other’s arms.”

“Hah! I’m good.”

“You are.” He nodded his head in admiration.

“Now to find someone for Chloe and Lois.” She had a gleam of anticipation in her eyes that turned to a gleam of another kind as Pete pulled her back into his arms.

“Tomorrow.”

She murmured softly in agreement “Well tomorrow is another day.” Before their lips met and she concentrated on her own love life.  



End file.
